The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a thin film magnetic head with a low step structure.
In thin film magnetic heads, a magnetic efficiency is generally improved by increasing the thickness of a lower magnetic layer of a yoke portion. However, when the thickness of the lower magnetic layer on a flat substrate is increased, the yoke portion is mounded. Further, various thin films are formed on the mound, so that a step is formed between the mound and its surrounding portion. Poor step coverage results in disconnections of a coil portion, improper masking, and other various drawbacks. In order to solve the above drawbacks, thin film magnetic heads with a low step structure have been developed.
In the thin film magnetic head of this type, a recess is formed in a predetermined portion of a nonmagnetic insulating layer on a substrate. The yoke portion of an increased thickness is formed in the recess. As a result, the yoke portion may not be mounded, thus solving the problem of poor step coverage and any other manufacturing problem.